PSYCH201 Week 1 - Week 6

Cognitive view

Approach that studies the mind as an information processing system

Introspection

Method where participants report conscious experiences

Behaviourism

Focus on observable behaviour only

Cognitive revolution

Shift to studying internal mental processes

Neuroplasticity

Brain’s ability to change with experience

Neurogenesis

Creation of new neurons

Synaptogenesis

Formation of connections between neurons

Synaptic pruning

Removal of unused connections

Membrane potential

Electrical difference across neuron membrane

Resting potential

Approximately -70 mV

Depolarisation

Membrane becomes less negative

Hyperpolarisation

Membrane becomes more negative

Action potential

Rapid electrical signal in a neuron

All-or-none principle

Action potential either happens fully or not at all

Refractory period

Time where neuron cannot easily fire again

Synaptic communication

Process of neurons sending signals

Calcium influx

Triggers neurotransmitter release

Exocytosis

Release of neurotransmitters into synapse

Reuptake

Reabsorption of neurotransmitters

Glutamate

Excitatory neurotransmitter

GABA

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

Perception

Interpretation of sensory input

Bottom-up processing

Driven by sensory input

Top-down processing

Driven by knowledge and expectations

Rods

Photoreceptors for low light

Cones

Photoreceptors for colour and detail

Fovea

Area of sharp central vision

Blindsight

Processing visual info without awareness

Ventral stream

Object recognition pathway

Dorsal stream

Spatial processing pathway

Language

System for communication

Syntax

Rules of sentence structure

Semantics

Meaning of words

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts in decision making

Availability heuristic

Based on ease of recall

Anchoring

Based on initial number

System 1

Fast automatic thinking

System 2

Slow controlled thinking